Despite the challenges presented by the pandemic, Olivet Nazarene University will present an original musical for the first time in its history. Members of the The School of Music and Department of Theatre have worked diligently for the past several months to bring the story and soundtrack to life.
The musical, titled Still, is inspired by the life of Fanny Crosby, a blind woman who lived in the 1800’s and wrote several thousand hymns. The production of this piece has been collaboratively created by Professor Ashley Sarver and a team of talented staff, students, and colleagues at the University. Through their efforts, Sarver and her team have created a story, loosely based on Crosby’s life, with over twenty original songs, giving the production its own unique flair.
While most musicals often take months or years to create and produce, this is not the case for Professor Sarver and the cast and crew of Still. At the time of its release, they will have created, rehearsed, and produced the show in four months. This has generated excitement from the cast and crew and within the Olivet community.
Professor Sarver is specifically excited about how unique of an experience it has been to create this piece, especially given the quick turn around and phenomenal support she has found within the campus community.
“This experience has been God breathed, supported and fantastic,” she said.
This is our story. This is our song. Students of Olivet’s theatre department work with the directors on final blocking for the production before bringing their original masterpiece to stage in April 2021.
It has been a learning process for everyone involved
Professor Ashely Sarver
Beginning the Process
When asked about the most challenging part of the creative process, Sarver said, “Coming into the creation of this musical, I was the only one who had done this type of work before.”
The challenge for me was knowing that I had to effectively communicate to the cast and rest of the team what the expectations were from the beginning. It has been a learning process for all of us.”
Sarver points out that when creating a musical like this, there is a lot of work that needs to be done, especially when it came down to what will make the final cut for the show.
“Having done this multiple times now, I knew exactly what this process could end up being. So, nothing took me by surprise because most musicals and plays that I have written have gotten to a point where that whole part needs to be scratched and reworked,” she said.
As a first-year professor at Olivet, Sarver feels a heightened sense of expectation and anticipation not only from herself but from her students as well.
“I am still navigating what I need to give to the students that teaches them [the process]. I want them to be well rounded when they leave Olivet,” she said.
Creating the Characters, Telling the Story
As a large part of the creative process, the students who have been working with Sarver and the rest of the team are excited to bring each character of this original work to life. From the beginning, the students who were chosen as part of the original cast were tasked with helping to create dialogue and navigate the way the story should be portrayed.
Marisa Costantino plays the lead role of Fanny Crosby, and expresses how she and her fellow cast members are excited to show their work to the public after months of practicing.
“It’s amazing because it’s not a play that has already been written. We have gotten to go through the whole workshopping process. We got to help write and create it, and it has gotten the whole cast excited because it is ours”
Marisa Costantino
As part of the learning process, each member of the cast has been tasked with creating characters for the first time. Costantino explains some of her challenges with creating the character of Fanny
“She is blind so obviously there is a lot of learning and finding ways to convey that authentically that has been a challenge because we want to tell her story well,” Costantino said.
While the learning curve of creating original characters was initially daunting, it has proven to be a rewarding learning process for all involved.
“Throughout this process we’ve all supported and encouraged each other, and people will see that in the final product,” Costantino said.
Jessica Buffa, a dancer in Still, is excited for the rest of ONU to finally see the musical after all the hard work that she and the rest of the collaborative team has put into it.
“This [process] is unique, changing, and exciting,” Buffa said. “Since it is an original musical, it has been constantly changing and making improvements. We have to be very adaptable and go with the flow, while not being overwhelmed or stressed.”
“It has been a challenge, but we are at a good point now, and it is really exciting,” she said.
Experience the World Premier of “Still”
Still will first premiere virtually on Friday, April 9 and will be accessible for on demand streaming. Tickets for the show will be $20 and will be available online at olivet.edu/tickets. For more information about Olivet’s School of Music or Department of Theatre contact the Office of Admissions at admissions@olivet.edu
Keep up with this production and other upcoming shows by following ONU theatre on Facebook and Instagram.
